FAN ARTICLES
What do we want?
Comments (21) : Evertonians are the same the world over, we all have our own view of everything that is Royal Blue. With so much going on (present transfer activity excepted) in the Everton world at the moment I have to believe that it?s time we got a bit more unified. If we are to progress as a club, somewhere along the line we all need to get on board with a bigger vision as to what we want Everton to become. If we continue to fight about peripheral issues one thing is certain: we will be exactly where we are at the moment (or worse) in twenty years' time.
From a personal perspective, I am part of an organization that at the moment is battling through three major transitions at the same time ? the result is that our attention has been diverted from what should be our main focus ? we spend so much of our time fighting the other stuff that we have taken our focus from where it should be and we have been going backwards for quite some time.
Instead of conjuring up conspiracy theories, debating whether Kirkby should be viewed as being in Liverpool or not, discussing Tesco?s ethical business practices (or lack thereof), speculating on Moyes?s ability as a manager, Kenwright?s qualification (or lack thereof) to be chairman of a football club, or coming up with endless FM scenarios, I think it?s about time we figured out what we want Everton to be in the future (?vision), agree on some key points, and then deal with the peripheral issues in light of the agreed upon ?vision?.
We need to decide if playing good football and winning games are the primary goals (granted they may not be the same), or are we more interested in our tradition and keeping things as they are? (thinking the answer is both then see later!) It?s a commonly used and powerful tool in business to define an organization's goals and mission and then organize debate and decisions in the context of the agreed-upon ?principles? ? the ?other stuff? doesn?t matter.
Too often we will all focus on who was the best team we saw, which era was the most successful and we spend so much time looking backwards that we fail to see what the future may be like. We need to learn from the past, build for the future but we need to live in the present.
Learning from the past ? Everton has had much success in the past, some thought should be put into how that success was achieved and how those lessons can be applied to our other two topics. Do lessons from our recent and not-so-recent past even apply to today?s game?
Building for the future ? What do we want Everton to be for future generations? Consistently challenging for Europe? Collecting ?significant? silverware (the Liverpool Senior Cup doesn?t really count in this regard)? Is beating Liverpool every ten years or so as good as we get?
Living in the present ? how can we maximize our current resources to achieve success? Although you don?t want to do anything in the short-term that completely blows your future (Leeds anyone? Chelsea in ten years time?), we have to recognize that we must continue to improve and play better football or none of the future fantasies will ever be likely to happen. You can?t buy better (more expensive) players by winning less prize money. You can?t attract foreign investors if nobody outside of the northwest cares that we exist ? and the only way that people outside the northwest will ever care that Everton does exist is if we win something and/or play with immaculate style.
Tradition
Before I continue, let me say that I am a ?traditionalist? ? I love the history of Everton, I love the memories I have of glories past ? but, if I am being brutally honest, when did the fact that we beat Bayern Munich in a pulsating encounter back in the eighties win us any points in the league in the past few seasons? Does boasting of Dixie and Young and Ball make opposing teams commit defensive errors that gift us goals? Does the fact that we have a ground filled with wonderful memories, tremendous history and unbeatable tradition win us any games?
If winning games, playing good football and winning trophies is our goal, then isn?t that what we have to focus on?
As supporters of this club, we have to support the vision of ?our? club, not particularly a vision that is rammed down our throats by directors, spokespeople, consultants and conglomerates ? but a vision that we can unite around. We have to decide what we want, do we want to win more games and play attractive football? Do we place more value on the pub that we cram ourselves into prior to kickoff and the alleys that we walk through to get back home after the game? Is the most important thing about Everton what happened twenty odd years ago? Or seventy years ago? More importantly we need to communicate a consistent and powerful message to those who run the club ? they may actually listen if the message sent is clearly and vociferously articulated ? it?s no wonder that many feel the club ?isn?t listening to the supporters? ? how can we expect them to listen and dialog when all we ever do is present twenty opposing and poorly supported arguments via a variety of disjointed media attempts?
If the majority of us are caught in the middle, then we need to be specific about vocalizing our opinion ? ?Yes, we want to win more games but we don?t want to lose our tradition?. If this is the case then ongoing events must be measured against it. In the case of the ground move some serious questions need to be answered from this perspective, the club must show us how and why any proposed move will satisfy both criteria. If the Board think that moving to Kirkby is a good thing, then the onus is on them to clearly show how this will help us win more games and play better football AND how our tradition will be maintained and treasured. And by the way, they?d better get a move on with giving those supporters that can vote on a Kirkby move some details otherwise they?ll be in for a marketing/public relations nightmare.
Surely the focus of Everton should be about winning games, playing attractive football and building a future where it continues to be an honor to pull on the Royal blue shirt. Everything that comes up has to be viewed through those criteria:
- If we are saving our pennies for the downpayment on a new stadium, then show me some of the details for that project and tell we how we are going about winning games and playing attractive football next season without some major additions.
- If we are only buying a few above-average players to fill out the squad numbers, then explain to me how that will make an improvement on last season and win more games.
- If Tesco want to build us a stadium in Knowsley, then explain to me in great detail how that will help us win more games playing joined-up football.
- If you want to stay within the geographic boundary of Liverpool, then explain to me in great detail how that will help us win more games playing joined-up football. And if your position on this is that anywhere in Liverpool is better than Kirkby then please explain the effective difference between moving 4 miles up the East Lancs Rd and moving potentially ten miles someplace else within the city boundary.
- Perhaps more controversially, if you want us to stay at Goodison for the next 20 years, then explain in elaborate detail how that will win us more games.
- If we accept that future revenues from a new stadium will help the team, then convince me how our tradition will be treasured and nurtured. Actually this applies to both situations, leaving for Kirkby or staying where we are ? since look how long it is taking to secure the most important collection of Evertonia that is in existence?
- If we are clamouring for some rich investor to come along and fill Billy?s pockets with dollars/euros/shekels, would turning Everton FC into an even bigger profit-centre than it is at the moment actually help us to win more games and nurture our tradition over the next ten years? (Let?s be honest no investor worth his salt is likely to come along and bail us out just for the fun of it ? they will be after a return on their investment and they won't be interested in any intermediate red numbers).
These aren?t easy questions to answer, there are short-term and long-term issues to consider. But, while we are waiting for the transfer activity to get going in our favor, perhaps we can put some thought to what it is that we want Everton to become. Perhaps there is something we can agree on ? otherwise our grandchildren will be having exactly the same discussion in fifty years time (actually maybe that might be considered by some to be ?success??)
Reader Comments (21)
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2 Posted 27/06/2007 at 16:16:40
Personally I’m in favour and see it as a good opportunity the like of which we may not see again and wish the debate was more focused on getting the move right rather than sitting in L4 with our fingers in our ears going "nnaah nahh naha nah nah don’t want to".
Having said that there are questions like the ones you raised against the move that I’d like to see addressed properly.
3 Posted 27/06/2007 at 16:08:47
4 Posted 27/06/2007 at 16:30:11
He is adapting a version of Tottenhams ’buy young players’ tactics, onyl because he doesnt have the same resources he is buying them even earlier. Spencer, Strabhaug, Ruddy, this Cardiff Left back, the young Irish forward again this week... even Turner could be put in that category as the first of that batch.
I was dead against Kirkby, but the more I think of it the more i am for it... but you are right, show us how it will help Everton Bill and I will gladly vote ’yes’.
5 Posted 27/06/2007 at 16:44:55
6 Posted 27/06/2007 at 16:54:13
1. If Tesco want to build us a stadium in Knowsley, then explain to me in great detail how we avoid this becoming a huge financial liability for the forseeable future. Will the stadium be ours or will we be forever in Tesco’s pocket.
2. If you want us to stay at Goodison for the next 20 years, then explain in elaborate detail how we avoid this becoming a huge financial liability for the forseeable future. Will it be economically viable to maintain Goodison in 20 years time. Could we stand being within spitting distance of the new Anfield without carrying out prohibitively expensive modifications, the cost of which would almost certainly be entirely ours.
Personally, I favour the move providing that we are given clear vision of exactly what is on the table, including any small print Terms and Conditions. I fear that staying at Goodison will eventually cost the club an enormous amount of money. Let’s face it, the club will have to move one day, Goodison can not, unfortunately, stand forever. I find it hard to believe that we will find an alternative that is cheaper than the one on offer in Kirkby.
7 Posted 27/06/2007 at 18:23:37
8 Posted 27/06/2007 at 20:25:18
Tottenham, West Ham, Birmingham all see the need to move to bigger better ground. Sooner or later we’re not going to attract decent players, have less money than usual and slip away down the league.
I honestly feel that the next five years are crucial to Everton for us to kick on and try and compete for those champions league places. Moving home has got to be the catalyst for that.
9 Posted 27/06/2007 at 22:00:38
10 Posted 27/06/2007 at 23:20:40
Knowsley don’t have City of Culture or a world famous name and therefore are prepared to take the gamble.
A sad state of affairs, but after Fortress and numerous other unanswered questions, would you want to trust him with millions of pounds worth of Land, grants, rate rebates, subsidies etc?
11 Posted 28/06/2007 at 02:11:33
12 Posted 28/06/2007 at 12:22:51
13 Posted 28/06/2007 at 12:54:48
However, I also beleive that many Evertonians realise the futility of thier debates, as we have a negilable influence on the decision makers, and therefore we are not masters of our fate.
All I hope for is that I enjoy being an Evertonian for next thirty years as much as I have in the previous thirty, and that the great people who frequent GP and this site are still with me, shooting the shit and cheering the boys on. COYB!
14 Posted 28/06/2007 at 12:10:19
I reckon I should call this piece Winning Football Matches. Personally, I believe that the first thing we need to see from the Everton Board of Directors is a Mission Statement:
- What does the Everton Board want Everton to look like in the future?
- What standards does it wish to set?
- What goals does it want to achieve?
Firstly, any club has to concentrate on it?s main income stream. In Everton's case it?s Football Matches. Win, lose or draw ? Everton recieve an income. The obvious factor in this is that the more you win the more you earn. Winning football matches therefore must be the prime mission of Everton Football Club.
What does winning more games bring? Increased media attention; more people wanting to attend games; better sponsorship deals; more prize money! increased retail sales... etc. This has to be the prime mission to move the club forward.
Talking about Everton Football Club Co Ltd, the club then have to streamline operations which indirectly affect the clubs "profit" ? commonly known as overheads, including wages of none playing staff. This is the money the club need to spend to exist. By buying more efficiently in these overhead areas, the club could realistically save enough money to add the equivilent of 3-4000 extra season ticket sales on the bottom line. It?s not rocket science. Trust me, I do this daily ? it?s not. Think of that. Having the income of a 45,000-seater stadium when you?ve only got 41000 seats. Good trick isn?t it?
We do need to move the club forward; one of the things I mentioned of winning more football matches is more people wanting to attend the games, but do we have a demand for season tickets so great that we cannot fit everyone into the current stadium? The answer is NO!
So when we do have the demand we can then look forward to moving to a potential stadium debate. In the meantime we should be looking to create that demand by winning more football matches. It may take a while, but in my opinion the priority for Everton Football Club should be winning football matches. Have I mentioned that before??? The rest will follow naturally.
Once we have the demand then we should look at all the alterantives available to satify that demand. Unfortunately this stadium debate has taken the focus off our core business... Winning Football Matches...
There I?ve got it off my chest.
15 Posted 28/06/2007 at 15:26:37
Sadly, you fall into the trap of thinking EFC have the luxury of time to get it right on the field ? Winning Football Matches ? before they make crucial decisons about their future home.
Nothing could be more wrong.
As David Moyes has demonstrated, we can get it right one season, and then be total shite the next. While the planning, negotitians, permitting, design, contracting, construction, etc involve in stadium (re)development has a timeline of anywhere from 4 to 10 YEARS.
I hate to say it because I loath this expression, but GET REAL. Everton must do soemthing NOW to ensure they get back to where they should be. I?m not saying that?s Kirkby; I?m not saying they have to redevelop Goodison. [Kings Dock was my preferred option, but we all know what Billy Boy did to that...] They have chosen to pursue the Kirkby opportunity "exclusivley", while keeping the fans out of the process. I believe that's the wrong path, but I'm sure they believe it was the lesson they learnt from the much more open and transparent Kings Dock "process" that ended in such a fiasco.
16 Posted 28/06/2007 at 15:13:35
Has the club got any other option then to jump on the tesco/kirby bandwagon bearing in mind the ground we’ve already lost on the top clubs in recent years?
Are we lucky that a major current market leader such as tesco have offered to help us out of this hole we find ourselves in?
Are Everton fans too sentimental for their own good & need to realize that tradition means nothing in todays game if you wish to generate money & win trophies?
17 Posted 28/06/2007 at 18:01:36
The only realistic option the Everton Board see at the moment is the Kirkby move.
The Kirkby move is ultimately all about playing good football and winning matches, as it is a means by which Everton can move forward and be in a better situation to achieve those goals.
I really despair at a lot of comments that seem to think the Everton board are idiots or fly-by-nights. They are not. They have a lot of experience from other areas to bring into the club.
I feel a lot more comfortable with him at the helm than a couple of Americans with their franchise across the park.
They know what they want to do but they are in the real world, where I think the critics are, in a lot of cases in cloud cuckoo land.
18 Posted 28/06/2007 at 22:54:19
19 Posted 29/06/2007 at 11:08:49
I cannot agree that the be all and end all of Everton Football club is to relocate from Goodison Park immediately.
I honestly believe that the fact that our loveable neighbours have had permission to build a stadium on our door step has panicked the club into finding the first available site with help from a partner. I understand the need to have a partner in the construction of the stadium and the surrounding infrastructure. It makes sense. Tesco is as good a partner as any in my opinion. Kirkby as a Location??? I just don?t know. Why don?t I know, well because like everyone else I don?t know what the alternatives are.
This bit has really side tracked me from my point. Think back, from the late eighties, through to the current state of football. Media hype, sponsorship deals and all.
One club stole a lead commercially on everyone, and as such moved the goalposts (ahem!) as far as media and stadiums were concerned. Manchester United. Their ground was big for the time anyway, 46000 capacity, they started winning trophies, league titles etc, it wasn?t until the late 1990?s when they had built a demand for seats that they believed it was time for them to add extra seats. United were lucky that they had the ability to redevelop rather than move. But they didn?t add those seats just because they wanted a bigger stadium. They had created a demand for the seats based on the success of the football team. It has continued to grow.
Another success story which has taken a little longer to develop than Manure is Arsenal. For me this is the model Everton should choose to follow. They went about creating a team which would consistently challenge for trophies, we all know they succeeded. They knew they had too move to a new stadium, hence champions league games taking place at Wembley a few years back. But they couldn?t find the right opportunity. They didn?t panic, they continued to develop and invest in a team which any Evertonian would be proud to watch. They continued to succeed financially by winning more trophies. More media attention, kit deals, sponsorship deals etc all came flooding their way. Why? it certainly wasn?t because they were playing at the Emirates stadium was it? Their ground, whilst all this was happening was smaller than ours is now. During this time Arsenal had created a demand for more seats. It couldn?t happen at Highbury so they searched for the right opportunity. They didn?t panic into getting the stadium or location on the first offer. They ensured they got what was best for Arsenal football club.
This is what my point was. I may have gone round the houses trying to explain it and you may take the opinion that this would only happen in an ideal world. What I think is happening is that Everton seems to be waiting for something to happen rather than making something happen. In order to get to where we want to be we have to have a successful football team.
Michael, I?m 32 years of age. I?m lucky (guessing you are too?) to have seen a few trophies won in my time. My little boy hasn?t. He?s 7 but he?s still a blue. I suppose that?s Everton for you though! I want him to be able to see this unbelievable football club win trophies again. I want to see us win more trophies. We all do, I have no doubt about it and it seems it?s stating the obvious.
I firmly believe that to move the club forward in any realistic way we have to build a team to win the trophies on a regular basis. The teams that have done this first i.e. Manure and the Arse are prime examples of how to do it right. City, Bolton, Sunderland, Boro?, Derby are prime examples of how we are planning to do it. I don?t think I need to tell you what has happened to all of these clubs since they moved to their new homes do I?
Surely the facts are that you should build a new stadium only when you have created the demand for the extra seats by creating a football team capable of winning trophies on a regular basis. The facts also state that doing the stadium bit first is a recipe for disaster. I?ll take all this back if someone can PROVE to me that Everton will be the exception, rather than the rule.
Cheers
John.
20 Posted 29/06/2007 at 13:42:46
But then I don’t give a shit about any other club ? never have, never will. Right now, at this point in time, Everton absloutely have to do something about their future home. It doesn’t mean they suddenly stop developing the side (although the inactivity until Monday ? Mikey & Arteta have not actually signed their new contracts yet! ? is disconcerting.)
I think the buzzword for it is "multi-tasking"!
21 Posted 30/06/2007 at 16:15:19
If you had told me in 1995 after the cup win that 12 years on we would have not even had a sniff of a trophy within that time, I would have found it hard to believe. In the simplest terms this may not be 1985, but we are better off now than we have been since the start of the millennium. Hands up anyone who would rather go back to the days of Walter Smith ? or that Coventry game?
Ps: where is Gareth Farrelly now? Thank you for reading and support your local police.
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1 Posted 27/06/2007 at 16:02:25
Without long term strategy we will be only one of the also runs in EPL, sadly the way the club is being run doesn’t fill me with great expectations.
KW outsourced everything possible, there is zero information about the Kirkby option,not to mention the transfer window or even KEIOC. I would be happy if BK comes out and say that we have some kind of strategy both on and of the pitch but its simply not the case.